Benedict Kouvaris has returned to England for his mother’s funeral but he doesn’t stand at the graveside.  Rather he watches from afar.  Ben has little love for his mother—a drug addict and prostitute--since the day twenty-five years before when she put him on a plane and sent him to his father and adopted another child in his place.  Ben’s had a good life as the son of a Greek tycoon but his treatment by Anna Kouvaris has always left doubts in his heart.  He wants to know more about the child who replaced him, a little girl his mother always called “The Brat,” so he orders his Chief of Security to find out.   When he gets to the offices of a publishing house he’s just acquired, however, he’s distracted by Gina Williams, one of his authors.  Gina isn’t particularly thrilled by his attention, for, unknown to Ben, she’s “The Brat,” a child bought from her destitute mother and forced into prostitution by Anna after she sent Ben away when one of her customers tried to molest him.  Now an independent, self-reliant woman, Gina has vowed never to let any man touch her again, but soon, the lives of these two strangers, already unknowingly bound together,will be inextricable entwined.

Called back to Greece, Ben finds more problems awaiting him.  His father’s Board of Directors is preparing to name a new CEO; they want a married man and it looks as if Ben’s half-brother Nik is likely to be chosen.  If that happens, Nik’s conniving wife Sophie will run through the family fortune in no time.  Father Theo needs surgery but delays hospitalization, insisting he wants to see Ben married and named CEO over Nik, and if his son doesn’t select a bride soon, he’ll choose one for him.  Not wanting to be bound to another Sophie, Ben returns to England and asks Gina for a one-year’s marriage of convenience to satisfy the Board and his father. Though Gina eventually agrees, she’s not happy about the whole thing, including the fact that she’s begun to like Theo and is weakening in her resolve not to fall in love, especially since the man she’s falling for is her own husband.

As the two young people attempt to overcome past pain and reconcile their current feelings,  Ben’s greedy sister-in-law makes threatening hints of family secrets; the paparazzi dog their footsteps looking for a reason for the hasty marriage.  Then, Ben is given a cassette, an anguished recording made by The Brat and addressed to the child he was.  Accusations are made and remorse abounds, and a mysterious stalker leaves messages on Gina’s answering machine:  “You can’t hide from me forever…”

MY OPINION:  This isn’t my usual type of book to review and it’s a such an involved story, I doubt I’ve given it justice with my synopsis.  The relationships in the story are so woven together, it’s difficult to separate them for a simple description.  The Brat starts out like a mystery but it’s not long before it becomes much more than that--a testament against child abuse of the worst kind:  child prostitution.  Anna Kouvaris’ one act of love for her son—sending him to his father after he is nearly molested—is also the worst cruelty imaginable, as she buys a child to take his place and forces that child into the same position.  The story is also about sins of omission and the fact that not acting when one is aware of a crime is as immoral as the crime itself.  Ben is depicted as a strong-willed, tenacious businessman, with that one flaw in his psyche, his belief his mother didn’t love him.  Gina is also just as strong in her own way, but her independence comes from a vow never to be under anyone’s domination again.  Marrying into an Old World Greek family—even for the wrong reasons—severely tries her promise to herself since those men, with the best intentions, tend to dominate and smother their women to protect them.  Whenever she feels herself experiencing love for Ben and his family, she considers she is weakening.  The discovery of the identity of the mysterious stalker doesn’t solve their problems but instead makes new ones as two people, unknowingly scarred by the same event struggle to come to terms with their past lives and any future they may have with each other.

The Brat is a story about trust betrayed, love found, lives nearly ruined and redeemed.  It shows how a heinous crime can affect even those who have no knowledge of it.  It’s a mystery, a love story, and a testament as well as a plea for abused children everywhere. 

This novel is available from the Wild Rose Press

This book was supplied by the author and no remuneration was involved in its review.

Another Writer’s Comment:

Tony,

>

> I read your review of The Brat. It sounds like a wonderful story.

> Child and spousal abuse is one of the issues I would like to tackle in

> my own writing some day, but I don't think I could top this author.

>

> Sandy

Sandy--

I appreciate your  'writer's perspective' as well as the kind words.  I hope, when you reads it, it fulfils your expectations and more.

Sherry